Light attachment for firearms.



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LIGHT ATTACHMENT FOR FIREARMS.

APPLIUATION IILBD DEO.18,1909.

Patented4 Jan. 24, 1911.

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LIGHT ATTACHMENTPOR FIREARMS.

APPLICATION FILED DEo.1a,19o9'.

Patented J an. 24, 1911.

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CLIFFORD A. LEWIS, OF PORTLAND, OREGON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MYRON E. HILL, OF SALIDA, COLORADO.

LIGHT ATTACHMENT FOR FIREARMS.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLIFFORD A. Lewis, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented new and useful Improvements in Light Attachments for Firearms, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an improved light attachment for lire-arms, being more particularly directed to a means within the control of the operator in the use of which the objective point of the gun fire may be momentarily or continuously illuminatedl to permit the use of the fire-arm without the usual sighting or under such conditions where sighting is impossible or the object aimed at ordinarily invisible.

In the use of lire-arms in the dark or under such similar conditions as render t-he ordinary use of the gun-sight impossible, the probability of accomplishing a specified result is mainly due to chance, and as accuracy under such conditions, as in emergency uses for protection, is desirable, it is highly important that some means be provided whereby the user may with speed and accuracy direct the gun-fire.

It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide a lighting attachment which may be removably connected to any type of tire-arm and which when in use will direct onto any particular object a luminous spot centrally of which is indicated the objective point of the bullet.

The invention therefore provides a means for the automatic sighting of a gun under conditions in which the object as well as the gun-sights are invisible.

The invention in its preferred details of construction will be described in the following specification, reference being had particularly to the accompanying' drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation showing the light attachment applied to a riiie. Fig. 2 is a lon vitudinal sectional view, partly in elevation, of the attachment. Fig. 3 is an elevation showing the light attachment applied to a pistol. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of F ig. 3 omitting that portion of the pistol in rear of the reduced part of the body. Fig. 5 is a broken perspective illustrating the connection of the light carrying block with the body. Fig. 6 is a view showing the light Patented Jan. 24, 1911.

Serial No. 533,939.

effect on a target using the cross wires. F ig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional View, partly in elevation, of a modified form of the attachment.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawings, the improved light attachment, in the preferred form as shown more particularly in Fig. 2, comprises a cylindrical body 1 which, for the greater portion of its length, is of uniform interior diameter. At the forward end the diameter of the body is gradually reduced presenting a conical section as at 2 and finally terminating in a cylindrical projection 3 having an interior diameter materially less than the interior diameter of the body with its longitudinal axial line coincident with the axial line of the body.

The rear end of the body 1 is open and designed to be closed by a removable cap 4 secured to the body in any appropriate or usual manner, as by screws 5 or the like, and within the cap and preferably though not necessarily secured thereto is a refiector 6, preferably coextensive with the interior diameter of the body and constructed in that form and of that material best adapted for the particular use for which the light attachment is designed.

The lower portion of the body wall is formed with a rectangular opening 7 extending through the rear edge of the wall and arranged for the reception of a block 8 carrying the illuminating means. The block is of a width to lit the transverse dimension of the opening 7 and is formed in its side wall with channels 9 to engage the side edges of the opening, whereby the block is adapted to slidably engage the body in manner to permit its convenient removal when desired. The block is formed with a threaded opening 10 to receive the plug 11 of an ordinary incandescent light 12, said plug being of a. length to project below the bottom of the block to receive the usual Socket 13 whereby the conductors 14 and 15 are connected in place.

A cap 16 comprising an elongated sleevelike member 17 having its forward edge inturned to provide a flange 18, is interiorly threaded to coperate with the exteriorly threaded end of the projection 3, and within the cap 16 I arrange a magnifying lens 19, whereby the light rays are intensified in the usual manner.

It is to be noted that the section 3 of the body is of materially less diameter than the diameter of the body proper', so that the light rays are, in their projection through the portion 3, rendered parallel and confined as to area, so that on reaching the lens they will be projected therebeyond on practically parallel lines with the effect that the spot projected onto any distant object will be of comparatively small diameter.

In Fig. 1 I have illustrated the light attachment as applied to a rifle, in which event the body l is secured to the barrel 20 in advance of the forearm 21 by a band 22, while the forward end of the attachment is secured to the barrel by a band 23. The band 23 is also utilized to carry the usual sight 24C, and in that portion between the barrel and the attachment the opposing sections of the band are engaged by a screw 25 threaded in both sections of the band, the connection of the screw providing for the adjustment of the sections of the band toward and from each other with the effect. to adjust the outer end of the attachment toward or from the barrel so that the light rays may actively indicate, when focused on an object, the objective point of the bullet. In this application of the attachment the energizing means of the light such as batteries 26 may be housed within the forearm, and the circuit controlling the light l2 broken only at the switch 27 arranged on the grip within convenient reach of the thumb when the hand is in firing position. 'Ihe .switch 27 may be in the form of the usual switch button arranged for closing the circuit under pressure or adapted for a slight independent movement so that the circuit may be temporarily locked closed in order that the rifle may be used while the attachment is affording a continuous light.

Under certain conditions of use it is found desirable to extend the normal distance between the lens 19 and the lamp 12, and for this purpose I provide a series of independent threaded sections 28 and 29, which may be connected at pleasure to the section 3 of the body intermediate said section and cap to locate the latter at any desired distance from the light. Furthermore in certain uses it is desirable to indicate the exact point on a. distant object at which the bullet will strike. For this purpose I prefer to mark upon the lens or arrange immediately adjacent thereto a transparent body carrying the usual cross wires 30 so that in the spot on the object there will appear a juncture of two lines, with the attachment so adjusted that the bullet from the rifle will strike at such juncture.

In the use of the device with a pistol the connection to the barrel is similar to that described in connection with the rifle, though in this use the energizing means such as a battery is carried in the pocket of the user, or any other convenient place for use at pleasure.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated a slightly modified form of the device in which the body comprises a cylindrical member 3l into which a solid section 32 is slidably introduced carrying an incandescent light 33 at one end, the conductors projecting from the opposing end of section 32 and through an opening 34 in the end of the body. This form of the device provides for the use of self reflecting incandescent lamps in which the light is directed endwise from the lamp. Aside from this detail the modification is similar to that previously described.

In the use of the device the attachment when the light is energized will direct a beam of light projected in the line of fire, so that said beam may be focused upon any particular object and indicate to the user the exact point within which the bullet from the fire arm will strike. All necessity for sighting the fire-arm is thus avoided, and therefore the device is particularly advantageous in those emergency uses where even the object fired at is invisible, as the sole requirement on the part of the user is to direct the beam of light on to the object and pull the trigger, with the certainty that the bullet will strike within the light spot on the object.

Preferably the interior of the body and all parts through which the light beam travels are blackened or otherwise arranged to avoid reflection. The material and sizes of the various parts of the device are such as may be indicated by any particular or special use to which the device is to be applied.

Claims.

l. A light attachment for fire arms including a body open at the respective ends, a lens carried by one end, a cap arranged to close the opposing end, the wall of the body being cut out to form an opening extending through the cap-engaging end, a block slidably engaging the longitudinal walls of the opening and corresponding in size to the opening, and a source of light carried by the block.

2. A light attachment for fire arms including a body open at the respective ends, a lens carried by one end, a cap arranged to close the opposing end, the wall of the body being cut out to form an opening extending through the cap-engaging end, a block slidably engaging the longitudinal walls of the opening and corresponding in size to the opening, a source of light carried by the block, and a reliector carried by the cap and corresponding in diameter to the similar dimension of the body.

8. The combination with a re arm of a light attachment therefor, means for seum U i www@ i i p i 982,280 8 curing the respective ends of said attachof the attachment with relation to the re 10 ment to the fire arm, the means connecting arm may be regulated.

the forward end of the attachment to the In testimony whereof I ailix my signare arm including a band underlying the ture in presence of two witnesses.

o attachment and overlying the fire arm, and CLIFFORD A LEVIS an adjusting screw engaging the opposing length of the band between the attachment Witnesses: and re arm, whereby in the adjustment of DAVID W. GOULD, said screw the position of the forward end JOHN L. FLETCHER. 

